Good things take time YOU KNOW?

•°⁴⁰°•Family and Lover─✵────────

"I missed you"

Jeongguk's whisper against Taehyung's mouth spoke volumes of love and passion. Jeongguk held Taehyung's hand, leaning towards him from the driving seat to capture his lips in another passionate kiss. Taehyung's hand on Jeongguk's thigh felt like an anchor to reality as they devoured each other, sitting in the front seats of the car.

"I missed you too" Taehyung whispered, breathless as they finally pulled away to catch their breath.

They had parked in front of Jimin's dorm to drop Taehyung off on Jeongguk's way to the hospital but neither of them could bring themselves to say goodbye.

"We'll meet soon" Jeongguk said.

"When?" Taehyung questioned.

"I'll call you. I promise I'll make time for you. I won't let you go like last time. I won't. I'll take care of you properly"

Taehyung smiled, the apples of his cheeks flushing a pretty pink as he whispered "Okay"

"What do you want to do when we meet?" Jeongguk asked as he cupped Taehyung cheek, a smile creeping up his own lips upon seeing the younger boy's adorableness.

"Let's go on a cute date"

"Any ideas?"

Taehyung shrugged. "We can go the movies? Or we can just watch a movie by ourselves and eat tacos and drink hot chocolate, wrapped in blankets. We can cuddle and kiss and have slow romantic sex afterwards" he grinned cheekily.

Jeongguk chuckled. "The second idea seems wholesome to me"

Taehyung's eyes lit up with excitement. "We can go to the museum too! I haven't been to a museum in ages! Oh we can go to the art museum! I heard it's awesome! I've always wanted to go with someone. Jimin is just too lazy. Do you want to go with me?"

"Of course, my love" Jeongguk was grinning like a lovesick fool. "We can do anything you want. Just come up with all the date ideas you want and I'll take you there"

Taehyung grinned, his plump lips stretching to a boxy shape. Jeongguk could only coo.

"I'm so excited!" Taehyung said. "I can't wait!"

"Me too, darling"

Taehyung paced another kiss on Jeongguk's lips. "Get going now. You should be there"

"Yeah" Jeongguk said, still holding Taehyung's hand. "I'll see you later, then"

"Okay" Taehyung smiled and opened the door, ready to step out when Jeongguk pulled him again towards himself and captured his lips in a kiss. When they pulled away, both of them were grinning.

"Bye for real this time" Taehyung said, grinning, and stepped out of the car, leaving Jeongguk grinning and watching him walk inside the dorm.

-

Jeongguk took hurried steps along the long hospital corridors, making his way towards Aria's room. When he finally reached the place, he barged the door open only to reveal Jieun and Aria, both looking at him.

Jeongguk saw Aria sigh the moment she saw him. Something in Jeongguk's heart stirred at the reaction of his daughter. Jieun glanced at Jeongguk but he couldn't meet her eyes.

"I'll leave you two" She said, kissing Aria's hand before walking out.

Jeongguk walked towards the bed, heart heavy in his chest as he watched Aria. He stood next to the bed and took her hand in his.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Fine" Aria answered. Her voice sounded different. Maybe because Jeongguk hadn't heard it in a while. Or maybe because she hadn't spoken in a while. Either way, Jeongguk was glad to hear her voice again.

"I was so worried" Jeongguk said, heart clenching in pain as he recalled the time he got the call that Aria had been met with an accident.

"Where were you when I woke up?" She sounded angry. "I woke up like an hour ago and you weren't here. Were you with Taehyung?"

"Aria!" Jeongguk exclaimed. He hadn't expected Aria to forget about the incident. But he'd be lying if he hadn't considered himself to be lucky and hoped she would forget it. Now, however, he couldn't ignore that there was a tension between them.

"I was at home. Your mother and I were taking shifts staying by your side" Jeongguk said. It was partially true.

"I still hate you" Aria said.

Jeongguk's heart clenched painfully. "Can't we talk about this later? When you're discharged we can figure something out-"

"They said they're going to discharge me in a few days" she grumbled.

"Aria" Jeongguk whispered. "Are you feeling okay? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No I'm fine" She said. "I'm just having a headache"

"Do you want anything? Candy? Anything you want to eat?"

"Dad I'm not ten years old for you to buy me candy. I'm sixteen years old!" Aria said. "I want you to tell me what's going on with you and mom" she sniffled.

"Aria..." Jeongguk watched Aria wipe a tear away with her bandaged wrist.

"It's been bothering me since the moment I woke up"

"Aria" Jeongguk felt like crying. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did what I did. The last thing I wanted to do was screw up your life"

Aria stayed silent.

"Your mom knows" Jeongguk said. "I told her. I know this is hard for you to understand but-"

"I'm sixteen! I'm mature"

Jeongguk sighed. "Your mom and I haven't had the best start in our relationship. You should understand that we tried but..." Jeongguk honestly didn't know what to tell her.

Aria let out a sigh. "Are you going to divorce her?" she bottom lip trembled.

"We haven't talked about it"

"Please don't get divorced," Aria was crying now. "Please"

"Aria" Jeongguk said brokenly.

"I hate Taehyung for doing this to our family"

"It's not his fault" Jeongguk said quickly, a wave of protectiveness suddenly taking over him. "It's my fau-"

"He ruined everything. You and mom were happy and in love before he came along. He's an asshole. He just wanted to ruin our lives. I hate him"

"Aria!" Jeongguk said, voice raising a bit. "Don't say that. You can blame me all you want. I started it. I met him way before you met him. You just don't understand this"

"He's nothing but a home wrecker. I shouldn't have dated him. He...he was cheating one me with you the whole time" Aria let out a sob.

"I thought you guys broke up. I told you to break up"

"You told me to break up with him so you could have him for yourself!"

"That's not true! He's so much older than you. You can't be with him! Aria you're a minor"

"Oh please" Aria scoffed. "You were being so selfish. You knew I liked him. I hate you!"

Jeongguk bit the inside of his cheek, thinking hard on his next words.

"Is it such a bad thing that your father wants to be happy too?"

Aria stared at him.

"I admitted that what I did was wrong. I told you to break up with him and I thought you did. Yes, I cheated on your mom and if you're so mature as you claim to be, you'd understand that people fall out of love eventually. Your mom had you when we were your age. We were kids, Aria. This was bound to happen"

"But mom loves you!"

"You don't know that"

"I do! All she talks about is you when you're not around. She loves you like crazy and you go hook up with other people behind her back"

"I can't force feelings out of me," Jeongguk said. "And you don't know the whole story"

"Then tell me"

"No. Ask your beloved mom"

"I'm mature enough to handle it. Tell me!" Aria said.

Jeongguk sighed. "I don't think you are"

"What?"

"You might be mature in age but you weren't so mature when you almost raped Taehyung, huh?"

Arias eyes widened. "He told you?"

"Is that the point here? That poor boy just lived with us because he didn't have money to rent a place. And you took advantage of his helpless condition"

"It was just one time"

"Anything without consent is rape!" Jeongguk shouted. "I didn't raise a rapist in my household!"

Aria let out a sob. "Before you try to tell us what to do with our lives, you'd better rethink all the screwed up things you've done in your life. Like what is this? I expected so much better from you" Jeongguk was raging with anger. He couldn't help himself.

"I'm sorry" Aria said.

"You should be saying sorry to Taehyung" Jeongguk sighed. "I didn't want to talk to you about this right now. But if you were so mature as you claim, you'd repent on your faults"

Aria sniffled. "You brought him to our house and you fucked him behind out backs"

Jeongguk's eyes widened at that. "I just offered him a place to stay" he said, massaging his temples as he could feel the beginning of a headache. "I don't think I did you wrong, Aria. He wasn't really your boyfriend. And I've talked to you like ten times about why you shouldn't be with him. You should've given up on him. You should listen to your parents. And I kept this crazy relationship of yours from your mom, believing you'd give up. If she knew, she'd say the exact same things I told you"

Aria glared at Jeongguk.

"The only problem here should be the fact that I cheated on your mother. And I think me and your mother will take care of that problem, hmm? It's between me and your mom" Jeongguk said.

Aria was silent for a few moments before she nodded slowly, another tear escaping her.

"Just get well soon so we can go home" Jeongguk said, voice soft. "I love you"

"Love you too" Jeongguk heard Aria whisper after a while, right before he walked out of the room.

Jeongguk saw Jieun sitting on one of the metal chairs in front of the room. She stood up and walked towards him as he walked out.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing" Jeongguk grumbled. "She's angry"

"Why?"

Jeongguk didn't answer. Jieun didn't know about the incident where Aria walked in on Jeongguk and Taehyung.

"You didn't tell her about it, right?"

"About what?" Jeongguk asked as he sat down on a chair.

"About you...not being her birth father"

"No I guessed that you're the one who should confess your sins. Not me"

Jieun scoffed. "As if you didn't do anything wrong. And does Aria know that you cheated?"

Jeongguk hesitated.

"Yeah"

"How?!"

"It doesn't matter. She knows everything and she's mad at me" Jeongguk said. Jieun didn't have to know about the part where Aria walked in on him and Taehyung.

"As she should be"

Jeongguk sighed. "Let's get a divorce"

"What?" Jieun shouted, making a few passersby look at them. Jeongguk looked away, embarrassed.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Why should I stay with you? I cheated on you. Don't you hate me? And I don't want to be with you. You lied to me about Aria! You ruined my whole life" Jeongguk said, burning with anger.

"Jeongguk I don't hate you. I love you!" Jieun said, looking at him. "I can forgive you. We can make things right between us"

"I don't love you. Why are you forcing me to stay when all I want to do is leave?" Jeongguk said. "The only thing that kept me from leaving earlier is Aria. Now that she's not really my child I don't really have a reason to stay"

"Stop being ridiculous. You're her father. You raised her. She's your daughter" Jieun said. "And what about the baby?"

Jeongguk looked at her, eyes droopy with stress and sorrow. She had her hand on her stomach, caressing the small lump that was barely visible.

Jeongguk's heart clenched upon seeing it. It was the first time he had seen the baby bump. He gulped as a million thoughts crossed his mind. If it's really his baby...

"It's not mine" Jeongguk said, voice think with emotion.

"Jeongguk! You can't be serious. I'm pregnant with your child. If you don't believe me let's do a test. We can do one in about two weeks"

"I don't want it" Jeongguk said.

"It's your child!" Jieun sounded annoyed. "Your blood, Jeongguk. He or she needs a father"

Jeongguk scoffed. "Find her a father like you did last time"

Jeongguk stood up from the seat but Jieun grabbed his hand.

"Stop acting like some hormonal teenager" Jieun said sharply. "You're thirty years old. You're not a teenager anymore. You're an adult. You have a family. You have a daughter and another kid on the way. Stop being so impulsive and let's talk about this like adults"

Jeongguk bit the inside of his cheeks. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Everything"

-

Jeongguk sipped on a milkshake as he stared out of the window of the hospital cafeteria, at the garden outside. Jeongguk didn't want to have friendly conversation with his pathetic excuse of a wife, who made him live a lie for half his life. However, ultimately, she was right.

Jeongguk was acting like a teenager; taking impulsive decisions. All he wanted to do was be with Taehyung but it wasn't easy like that. He couldn't do as he pleases when there's a million lashes dragging him back.

Jeongguk looked at Jieun, who also stared out of the window at the sunset, seated opposite from him at the table. Her cheeks were hollowed and her hair a little messy, unlike her usual attire. She had lost weight.

A pang of worry hit him on the chest as he remembered that she was pregnant. She needs to eat and rest. She needs nutrition. She hadn't gotten enough of either of those in the past few days.

"Look" Jeongguk started, eyeing the plate of untouched food in front of her. Jieun turned her head to look at Jeongguk.

"What?"

"You should eat" Jeongguk said in a small voice. "I'll stay with Aria tonight. You go and get some sleep. You need to rest"

"Okay" Jieun whispered.

"I want to be with Taehyung"

Jieun looked up at that. "Do you love him?"

"Yes"

Jieun bit her lip, looking down. Jeongguk watched her silently. A silence stretched between them. And then-

Sniffle

Jieun wiped tears off her cheeks. Jeongguk watched her, guilt building up inside him.

After a few moments she looked up and nodded at Jeongguk. "I understand"

"What?"

"I get it. I was wrong. I did you wrong all those years ago. I was a coward and I ruined your life. I'm sorry" Jieun said, voice cracking up from time to time.

"Okay" Jeongguk said. He didn't need an apology. An apology wouldn't bring back those years.

"But I love you"

Jeongguk looked up at her again. "I don't. I'm sorry"

Jieun waited a few moments, staring at the table. "I can't say it's fine. I'm not that strong. I can't tell you that it's okay that you don't love me and that I want you to be happy. I can't tell you to leave me and find your happiness. I'm not strong like that"

"Jieun..."

"I need you. You're all I have. I hate to victimize myself but I don't have a choice, Jeongguk. Aria is a handful. She's stubborn and at the peak of her teens. I know I'm being selfish but I can't manage her and this baby alone"

Jeongguk stayed silent, her words hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"And you're being selfish too, don't you think?" Jieun said. "We have been married for ten years and we went through everything together. Even though Aria isn't your biological daughter you're still her father. I just don't know any other way to put it. You raised her, Jeongguk"

"And I know that deep down you don't mean it when you say you want to leave us. You might not care about me but you care about her. You want to watch her grow up. You want to see her living a beautiful life. Love doesn't disappear like that, Jeongguk. You love her the same way you loved her before you got to know this piece of information"

Jeongguk fumbled with his fingers as he kept his gaze down, trying to control the tears that gathered in his eyes because every word that left Jieun's mouth was true.

"This baby is yours, Jeongguk" Jieun said. "I didn't cheat on you. Since the day Aria came into this world, you're the only man I've set my eyes on. If you're not going to take my word for it, I don't know how else to prove it to you. I have no reason to lie to you. Not right now"

Jeongguk let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know what to do"

Jieun stayed silent.

"I'm sorry" Jeongguk said after a while. "I just want to be with him"

"I know" Jieun said. "But you should stop pretending like he's the only person in your world"

"I know" Jeongguk said.

"I'm still your wife and I still care about you and love you," Jieun said. "I didn't know you were so unhappy with me" she wiped another tear that made its way down her cheek.

"I used to be"

"We raised Aria for sixteen years. Together. It's not only you that didn't get to enjoy being a teenager and college life. I worked two jobs in my college days, remember?"

Jeongguk nodded. His heart clenched as he remembered the way Jieun would come home late at night after working at a diner and as a tutor and Jeongguk would always stay up late for her to come home. Jeongguk worked as a tutor in his college days and he had enough free time. But he didn't hang around with his friends and go to parties like his friends did. After work, he went to pick Aria up from daycare and took her home. He looked after her for the rest of the day.

"We built this life together," Jieun said. "And I'm not saying that things haven't changed. But can you leave everything you've spent half of your life building up for some boy you met only four months ago?"

Jeongguk kept his gaze down. He wanted to sob at that moment, as he reminisced all the beautiful moments he had had with Taehyung. His laugh, like an angel's bells, his voice deep as the deepest pits of Tartarus and his body and face carved by the heaven itself. He didn't want to let go of that happy place. His home. His comfort.

"What if it doesn't work out?" Jieun questioned, making Jeongguk look up at her. "He's still in his twenties. A college boy. Do you really think it's going to last? He's just attracted to you because you're older and mature. He's too young for you"

"I think I'll manage that" Jeongguk gritted through his teeth as he bit back a sob. However he could not help but see truth in Jieun's words.

Jieun sighed. "You're not a child, Jeongguk. Just think about what I said. It's not because I don't want you to be happy. I wish we could work this out in a way we both could be happy. I'm just telling you to work out your priorities. And as a mother, my priorities are my children. I just want them to have a good future"

Jeongguk watched her as she stood up from her chair and made her way to Jeongguk. She stopped right beside him and he turned to face her, confused. But Jieun took Jeongguk's hand and placed his palm right over her belly.

"Feel it? It's yours. Your baby growing inside me" Jieun said.

Jeongguk gulped as he darted his gaze from her eyes to her stomach.

He gulped. Jeongguk could see the bump more clearly now; a small bump on her otherwise flat stomach. Almost unconsciously, he brought his other hand to her stomach and caressed the bump. He instantly recalled the way he used to touch Jieun's stomach when she was pregnant fifteen years ago. He remembered the way the baby kicked at times.

He couldn't feel anything. It was only a fetus. But the baby bump was so evident, even though her frock that wasn't too tight on her. Jeongguk caressed his palms over the frock, softly, feeling up the way her belly had swollen, all because of him.

His baby

Jieun looked down at him lovingly, but her eyes were sad. She cupped Jeongguk's face, making him look up at her.

"Make a choice, Jeongguk. Family or lover?"

》♡《

Merry Christmas! Hope you guys enjoyed my Christmas present for you 💜

And thoughts? What should he do now?